Good morning all and Happy Tuesday. I think we have finally managed to melt all of our Christmas snow but the world is a wet and drippy place. This morning I woke up thinking I left the faucet running. I suppose there are worse reasons to get up before the alarm clock, but that one isn’t my favorite. Anyway, awake I am, sort of, and no water based emergencies are actually occurring in the house. So let’s get on with today’s writing prompt. Ready? Excellent. Release the timers!
You know I have been working on a steampunk novel recently. This could very easily play into it. Clearly it would need work, but it is an idea. Interesting…
Tuesday, December 29th: Please, try to enjoy the evening.
“Please, try to enjoy the evening,” she said.
The tone was poisonous candy. Sweetness covered in arsenic. Angelica knew her step mother didn’t truly want her to enjoy the party. It is why she timed her news only moments before the guests arrived. Angelica could see the logic, she could always see the logic, that was the problem.
‘Well, no,’ she amended as she took the few precious moments of solitude to compose herself. ‘The problem is seeing it but being unable to avoid it. That’s the trouble.’
It was only as the words tumbled from Georgina’s lips that Angelica could see the purpose behind them. As she only spent time in her step-mother’s company when she was about to be given her orders, Angelica couldn’t see a way to anticipate them.
She shook off the thought. For now she had to deal with what was about to unfold not worry about future dealings with Georgina. Her step-mother informed her that in the morning she would be leaving for St. Brigitte’s Finishing school. For her to announce it so firmly meant that it was probably not only a settled arrangement, but that many others at the party also knew of her eminent departure. She tried not to grind her teeth at the indignity of having others know her business before she did.
As Angelica saw it, she had several courses of action. She could rail against the notion of being sent to the school. Unfortunately, given the guests that might actually convince many of them that her step mother was right in insisting she attend the school in the first place. She could stay silent and polite throughout the night. It might not convince anyone that she didn’t need to go, but it wouldn’t make Georgina into any sort of long suffering martyr. Neither option had very much appeal.
‘Or,’ Angelica thought. She started to see a glimmer of a light bulb. It dimmed. An ‘or didn’t really exist. What was she to do, run away? She shook her head. Or did it? There were places she could go, she supposed. One in particular that would suit admirably.
Her tentative train of thought was interrupted as guests began to arrive and she was called into her role as daughter of the house. Angelica stayed silent regarding her thoughts on finishing school, but with every smug look Georgina shot her, Angelica’s tentative ‘or’ became less tentative. As she smiled politely and nodded to inane comments, Angelica began to plan.
It wasn’t one of her best plans. Those required time, which was the one thing she didn’t have. She would have to move fast if she was to avoid St. Brigitte’s. That left one really viable path.
‘Uncle Francis,’ she decided. With the main point decided, details needed sorting and as Angelica moved throughout the room, behaving as the picture perfect, obedient little feather wit, the details fell into place, falling like dominos. By the time the last guest was escorted to the door and wished a good night, she was ready to put her plan into motion.
Ten til Midnight 